YUCAIPA – Despite a second quarter that hinted at another possible close contest, Yucaipa High School lost to Eisenhower on Friday 79-61 in a Citrus Belt League contest.

Eisenhower’s size, strength and speed played major roles in the victory, as the Eagles dominated the Thunderbirds inside. But Yucaipa made a strong showing in the first half, which suggested a tighter battle than the one that played out late in the game.

“It was really a tale of two halves,” Yucaipa head coach Pat McLeod said. “We came out and played well defensively. Didn’t shoot the ball great in the first half and we came out and they just wore us down with their athleticism.”

Eisenhower (14-6 overall, 6-0 league) looked poised to dominate the Thunderbirds from start to finish. But Yucaipa (10-10, 3-3) came out strong in the second quarter and often got the ball to 6-foot-6 center Daylin Billingsley, who scored 12 of his 22 points in the first half.

By the end of the first half, the Thunderbirds trailed 35-34.

But Eisenhower responded with renewed intensity in the third quarter, jumping ahead by nine points in the opening minute, and the Eagles never looked back.

“I think we really got our shots going, and I think that helped, and we made some defensive plays and got running a little bit better,” Eisenhower head coach Steve Johnson said.

In the first half, Eisenhower senior Marvelle Harris handled most of the team’s scoring with 17 of his 23 points. But in the second half, the Eagles relied on a more balanced attack as senior Terrence Sims scored 12 second-half points.

McLeod agreed the second quarter was the bright spot for his team and said any team needs more than one strong quarter to beat a team like Eisenhower, which is undefeated in league.

Eisenhower defeated Yucaipa 59-48 when the teams met Jan. 11, but Yucaipa managed to stay close until the final buzzer. Johnson said he expected the same kind of battle Friday.

“They gave us a good matchup in the first game,” he said. “They came within three in the fourth quarter and it was like that at halftime (tonight). They made some good plays and we only had a one-point lead at the half.”

Said McLeod: “In the second quarter, we loosened up a little bit. We ran our offense a little bit better, the shots were falling for us. But we didn’t keep that up in the third quarter. That’s when they did their Eisenhower thing on us.

“I think when you play Eisenhower, you have to, for four quarters, you have to play with that intensity.”